GDC PS4 info!

Sony is currently hosting a presentation at the Game Developers Conference to cover new aspects about the PlayStation 4. Among the topics discussed include the system’s hardware, controller, Remote Play, and UI. Speaking of UI, Sony confirmed that the PSN friend limit has been raised – something that will likely please PS3 owners.

IGN’s Greg Miller is on-hand for the event and has been live-tweeting tidbits from the presentation. We’ve gathered up what’s been shared below.

- Targeted to be the “central device in the living room”
- “Core gamers are our primary audience
- PS4 build around them, salable to the outsiders
- 5 core PS4 principles: Simple, Immediate, Social, Integrated, Personalized
- PS4 CPU: 64-bit x86 arch, low power consumption, low heat, 8 cores, 8 HW threads, 2MiB L2 cache per 4 core group, 32kib l1 I/D-cache
- PlayStation Shader Language, very similar to HLSL, allows featured BEYOND Direct X 11 and OpenGL 4.0
- “GPU – Tessellation – adding geometric detail to smooth edges or create more organic shapes”
- PS4 RAM – 8GB 256 bit GDDR5 (GDDR5 is very high end graphics memory only found on PC graphics cards)
- Will come with “very large hard drive in every console”
- PS4 Dev Environment – Windows 7-bit, tools are fully integrated into Visual Studio 2010 and 2012
- “Debug your PS4 code as you would your PC code”
- PS4 Controller: Start/Select buttons are now “Options.” New System button is “Share.”
- Speaker, headset hack and “extension port” on the PS4 controller
- PS4 controller buttons are going back to digital over analog because no one used it on PS3
- PS4 controller L2/R2 – Curved design to get rid of the accidental netflix fast forwarding
- PS4 controller: 1920×900 resolution on the analog touchpad
- PS4 controller colors are the Player Numbers: 1-Blue, 2-Red, 3-Green, 4-Pink (Like the buttons)
- PS4 will charge controllers when it’s off. Unlike the PS3.
- PS4 controller light bar can be used for muzzle flashes, health bars, etc
- “The #PS4 Eye will enhance the PS4 user experience.” High sensitivity dual color cameras – 1280×800, 12 bits/pixel, 60Hz
- Dedicated port for the #PS4 camera, exclusive SCE Connector. Means it won’t use a USB port on the console, but won’t plug into your PC.
- Cam suggested uses: walkthrough vids, taunting in killcam, login, speech recognition, etc; possible PS4 Camera Magic – Sees the controller, you guys move, splitscreen moves to be on the right side
- The above is what devs could do (not mandatory)
- Video example shown of PS4 combining the camera and the controller. “AR Menu”
- Zoom into the controller, tilt to shake little dudes inside, push into our world like EyePet
- 2004: XMB, 2011: LiveArea, 2013: New #PS4 one based on the five principles from earlier
- UI is meant to give you at a glance info without loading the game. See what new DLC is out and whatnot. What friends are saying.
- Have to enable people seeing your real name on the #PS4. Auto-enabled if you import from another social network. (Can be turned off)
- PSN friend limit raised
- PS4 Mock-up: Heavy Rain choice with the number of your friends that chose each option.
- All the PS4 streaming and sharing: that’s on the hardware. Devs don’t have to do anything special to their game.
- PS4 Remote Play: Screens are mirrored on PS4/Vita (Both on at same time). Hardware does it/not on devs. Start at any time; no special mode.
- Talking about the PlayStation App. Login, buy game, PS4 starts downloading at home, you get home and start playing the part that’s DWLD.

Pretty Sure Gran Turismo 5 used the analog function of the buttons you knwo for braking and accelerating. I never used the triggers becuase they sucked, my fingers kept slipping off. But I guess I am no one

Metal Gear Solid 2 used the analog buttons too, you could hold someone up then release pressure and your gun would start to lower but as soon as the enemy made a move add more pressure and the gun was up in their face again.
Cannot think of any other games that used it though and certainly not PS3 games.

If you have time, could you go through some of those really technical things, so I can understand it?
Even if I'm not experienced in that area, its' still good to know even if it's not meant for gamers to know. Still makes me excited if things are easier on developers because that means more and better games I think.

If you have time, could you go through some of those really technical things, so I can understand it?
Even if I'm not experienced in that area, its' still good to know even if it's not meant for gamers to know. Still makes me excited if things are easier on developers because that means more and better games I think.

Most of what they have detailed is very straight forward, probably the only intersting one is :

PlayStation Shader Language, very similar to HLSL, allows featured BEYOND Direct X 11 and OpenGL 4.0

Which would indicate a few closer to the metal funtions will be available to devs.

Pretty sure they said this at the PS4 event, but it's still nice to see a confirmation that remote play is hardware based and that the devs don't have to do anything for it. I don't use it that much, but I'm very glad I have a Vita now.

- Targeted to be the “central device in the living room”
- “Core gamers are our primary audience
- PS4 build around them, salable to the outsiders
- “GPU – Tessellation – adding geometric detail to smooth edges or create more organic shapes”
- PS4 RAM – 8GB 256 bit GDDR5 (GDDR5 is very high end graphics memory only found on PC graphics cards)
- Will come with “very large hard drive in every console”
- PS4 Controller: Start/Select buttons are now “Options.” New System button is “Share.”
- Speaker, headset hack and “extension port” on the PS4 controller
- PS4 controller L2/R2 – Curved design to get rid of the accidental netflix fast forwarding
- PS4 will charge controllers when it’s off. Unlike the PS3.
- The above is what devs could do (not mandatory)
- Have to enable people seeing your real name on the #PS4. Auto-enabled if you import from another social network. (Can be turned off)
- PS4 Mock-up: Heavy Rain choice with the number of your friends that chose each option.
- All the PS4 streaming and sharing: that’s on the hardware. Devs don’t have to do anything special to their game.

all these are all good. well everything is good but the things I do understand here.

- Targeted to be the “central device in the living room”
- “Core gamers are our primary audience
- PS4 build around them, salable to the outsiders
- “GPU – Tessellation – adding geometric detail to smooth edges or create more organic shapes”
- PS4 RAM – 8GB 256 bit GDDR5 (GDDR5 is very high end graphics memory only found on PC graphics cards)
- Will come with “very large hard drive in every console”
- PS4 Controller: Start/Select buttons are now “Options.” New System button is “Share.”
- Speaker, headset hack and “extension port” on the PS4 controller
- PS4 controller L2/R2 – Curved design to get rid of the accidental netflix fast forwarding
- PS4 will charge controllers when it’s off. Unlike the PS3.
- The above is what devs could do (not mandatory)
- Have to enable people seeing your real name on the #PS4. Auto-enabled if you import from another social network. (Can be turned off)
- PS4 Mock-up: Heavy Rain choice with the number of your friends that chose each option.
- All the PS4 streaming and sharing: that’s on the hardware. Devs don’t have to do anything special to their game.

all these are all good. well everything is good but the things I do understand here.

Debugging is merely a tool program in which you can play the game and see the code running in real time so you know where your code has to fixed, tightened, added on to or removed. At least that how I think it works.

Debugging is merely a tool program in which you can play the game and see the code running in real time so you know where your code has to fixed, tightened, added on to or removed. At least that how I think it works.

Yup, debugging just allows you to step through you code, and see where you done made a mistake!
Yes us programmers make mistakes.

-Force feedback has two (1 small, 1 big) analog motors, as opposed to the digital ones in PS3. Allows for "more precise, cool effects."
-Removing "analog" face buttons and going with digital will "cut latency way down" for the new controller.
The system will stream 32Khz sound up to 2 controllers, and 16Khz for 3 or more players.

Further explanation of extended DirectX features:

-Sony is building its CPU on what it's calling an extended DirectX 11.1+ feature set, including extra debugging support that is not available on PC platforms. This system will also give developers more direct access to the shader pipeline than they had on the PS3 or through DirectX itself. "This is access you're not used to getting on the PC, and as a result you can do a lot more cool things and have a lot more access to the power of the system," Norden said.

Personally, the thing that continues to excite me the most is how right they are finally doing remote play. Things just seem well thought out with regards to the PS4 lol. Woop.

The magic remote that readjust split screen position automatically is a great addition for me.. I never know which side of the screen I am using when I play a game co-op until I lag behind an realize "oh $#@!, I'm on this side of the screen" Yeah, I'm lazy that way. Now with the automatic repositioning I will always know which side of the screen is mine based on where I am sitting.. That's just AWESOME, well for me anyway!!

Many features hardware embedded instead of relying on Devs implementation? FanFUCKINGtastic!!!!

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